Arizona’s NBC News affiliate, Channel 12, reports that the small mountain community of Pine-Strawberry is facing a critical water shortage, with wells drying up and the local water district no longer hooking up new customers.  Even the fire hydrants do not work very well.

12 News reports that the town’s largest water supplier has seen more than half of its wells dry up. 38 active wells have dropped down to just 14 active wells.

Some residents are trucking water in.

Outdated, leaky infrastructure and too many wells drawing upon the community’s shallow aquifer are cited as contributing to the problem.

Drought is another factor.  The entire state is “unusually dry” right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm3LbH3UlwE

Image Description and Source:
“Looking at the central residential part of the town of Strawberry, along Fossil Creek Road, which swings left and curves up around the ridge in the background.” March 16, 2011. Alan Levine. Wikimedia Commons.